Fall Color: Fruiting Shrubs - Ilex x meserveae (Holly)

Meserve Hybrid Holly
Ilex x meserveae
Hardiness Zone: 5 - 8
Mature Height: 6-8 Feet
Mature Width: 6-8 Feet
Lustrous, blue-green, evergreen foliage all year; stems are reddish purple; bright red fruit on female plants.Prefers full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil is best.
Cultivars:

* 'Blue Boy' - 10-15 feet tall; dark green leaves (male).
* 'Blue Girl' - 8-10 feet tall, dark green foliage and bright red fruit (female).
* 'Blue Prince' - 8 inches-2 feet tall, and very dense, with dark green foliage, very cold hardy, (male).
* 'Blue Princess' - 15 feet tall, dark blue green foliage and an abundance of red fruit (female).
* 'Mesdob' (China Boy®)- 10 feet tall, good cold hardiness, (male).
* 'Mesid' (Blue Maid®)- 15 feet tall, red fruits (female).
* 'Mesog' (China Girl®)- 10 feet tall , green foliage and abundant red fruit (female).

Mature Form: Rounded
Native To: Of hybrid origin
Soil condition: Moist Well-Drained

Fall Color: Fruiting Shrubs - Pyracantha coccinea ( Scarlet Firethorn)

Scarlet Firethorn
Pyracantha coccinea
Hardiness Zone: 5 - 9
Mature Height: 6-12 Feet
Mature Width: 6-12 Feet
Clusters of small white flowers bloom in early summer (flowers have a mildly unpleasant fragrance); shiny green leaves are semi-evergreen in zones 5,6 and 7 and evergreen in zones 8 and 9; bright red-orange fruits are borne in clusters from late summer into early winter.Prefers full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil is best, but will tolerate dry soil; tolerates alkaline soils.
Cultivars:

* 'Kasan' - Hardy to zone 5, orange-red fruit, 10 feet tall, susceptible to scab
* 'Lalandei' - Hardy to zone 5, orange-red fruit, 10-15 feet tall, susceptible to scab

Mature Form: Upright and open to rounded
Native To: Europe and Asia
Soil condition: Dry, Moist Well-Drained
Tolerance: Alkaline Soil, Dry Sites
Additional Notes: Stems are thorny.

Fall Color: Fruiting Shrubs - Cotoneaster dammeri 'Tom Thumb'

Changing foliage is not the only option for color in your fall garden – callicarpa, winterberry, cotoneaster, pyracanthus and holly all show off with colorful berries in autumn.





Tom Thumb cotoneaster
Cotoneaster dammeri 'Tom Thumb'
Hardiness Zone: 5 - 7
Mature Height: .5 -1 Feet
Mature Width: 3 Feet
Small, pale pink flowers in spring; summer leaves are lustrous; small, bright red fruit in late summer and autumn; autumn color is red.
Full sun; prefers a moist, well-drained soil, but can tolerate dryness; tolerates alkaline soil, somewhat tolerant of salt.
Mature Form: Rounded shrub with slightly arching branches.
Native To: China
Soil condition: Dry,Moist, Well-Drained Moist, Wet
Tolerance: Alkaline Soil, Dry Sites, Salt,Wind

Fall color: Fruiting Shrubs - Ilex verticillata (Winterberry)

Changing foliage is not the only option for color in your fall garden – callicarpa, winterberry, cotoneaster, pyracanthus and holly all show off with colorful berries in autumn.





Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Hardiness Zone: 4 - 9
Mature Height: 6-9 Feet
Mature Width: 6-9 Feet
Bright red fruit on female plants; autumn color is pale yellow. Prefers full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil is best, but tolerates wet sites; tolerates alkaline soil.
Cultivars:

* 'Afterglow'- 10 feet tall, orange to orange red fruit, good cold hardiness, (female).
* 'Jim Dandy'- 10 feet tall, (male).
* 'Red Sprite'- 3-5 feet tall, large, bright red fruit (female).
* 'Southern Gentleman' - Hardy to zone 3, (male).
* 'Spriber' ('Berry Nice')- 6-8 feet tall, outstanding display of bright red fruit (female).
* 'Winter Gold'- 7 feet tall, yellow fruit (female).
* 'Winter Red'- 9 feet tall, bright red fruits are abundant and persistent.

Mature Form: Oval to rounded; will sucker
Native To: United States (and Illinois)
Soil condition: Moist, Well-Drained Moist, Wet
Tolerance: Alkaline Soil, Soil Compaction, Wet Sites, Wind

Additional Notes: All species of Ilex have male and female flowers on separate plants. Fruit will be produced only if a male plant is available to pollinate the females. Leaves of this species will fall off in autumn.

Fall Color: Fruiting Shrubs - Callicarpa Japonica (Japanese Beaty Berry)

Changing foliage is not the only option for color in your fall garden – callicarpa, winterberry, cotoneaster, pyracanthus and holly all show off with colorful berries in autumn.





Japanese Beautyberry
Callicarpa japonica
Hardiness Zone: 5 - 8
Mature Height: 4-6 Feet
Mature Width: 4-6 Feet
Small, pink flowers bloom mid-late summer; clusters of small, bright violet-purple berries in autumn; yellow or purplish autumn color. Prefers full sun to light shade; moist, well-drained soil; best in acid soil, but tolerates neutral soil pH.
Mature Form: Rounded with arching branches.
Native To: Japan
Soil condition: Well-Drained Moist
Tolerance: Wind

Flowering Hedge: 20% off Flowering Quince ( Chaenomeles)

Chaenomeles
Zone: 5
Light: Full Sun
Bloom time: April (and sometimes they rebloom in September!)
Flower Color: white, pink, orange, red or peach
Fragrant: No
Mature Size: 6 tall and 10 feet wide

Chaenomeles (Flowering Quince) is an easy to grow, round-topped, deciduous shrub growing 6 feet tall and 10 feet across, with - let's be honest- beastly thorns. BUT this thorny beast becomes laden with showy spring blossoms.

When planting this very sturdy and low maintenance shrub you have two options: for those of you who (like most of us) would prefer to avoid battle scars while gardening, plant your Quince in full sun somewhere where you can admire its profusion of blooms from a distance in a flowering hedge.

But for the brave gardeners (with heavy leather gloves) this shrub can be pruned every year to keep it a manageable size. Flowering Quince can also be espaliered (trained to grow against a wall) and is a popular bonsai choice. Pruning the quince has the added benefit of encourages better blooming.

Flowering quince will produce a hard, pear-like fruit. These tart fruit can be used in jelly making.



Fruit from 'Toyo Nishiki'.

Flowering Hedge: 20% off Viburnum

Viburnum 'Summer Snowflake'(Viburnum plicatum tomentosum 'Summer Snowflake')
Zone: 5
Light: Partial Shade to Full Sun
Bloom time: From April to Frost!
Flower Color: white
Fragrant: No
Mature Size: 6 to 8 feet tall and wide

Summer Snowflake Viburnum produces an abundance of pretty, white flower clusters from April to frost! One of only a few shrubs that blooms all season. Very useful in the landscape as a free standing specimen shrub or in a flowering hedge. Viburnum 'Summer Snowflake' will grow in full sun provided there is adequate moisture during summer dry spells. Some afternoon shade is appreciated. Attractive bright red berries in late Summer are followed by wine-red Fall foliage.

Flowering Hedge: 20% off Weigela

Weigela 'Wine and Roses'
Zone: 4
Light: Full Sun for best color
Bloom time: June (And again through the summer)
Flower Color: Hot pink
Fragrant: No
Mature Size: 4-5 feet tall and wide (Wine and Roses)

Leaf color intensifies to near black in late summer and does not fade to green like some older selections The tubular flowers are adored by Hummingbirds! It can be enjoyed as either an accent plant or used for a dramatic mass planting. It is fast growing and trouble free, making it an easy way to add season long color to the garden. The richly colored foliage makes its branches an excellent addition to cut flower bouquets.

Flowering hedge: 20% off Fothergilla

Fothergilla (All Varieties)
Zone: 5
Light: Full Sun
Bloom time: May
Flower Color: White
Fragrant: Slightly
Mature Size: 6' tall by 5' Tall ('Mt. Airy') 1' tall by 3' wide (Dwarf Fothergilla)

'Mt. Airy' (also listed as 'Mount Airy') - This form of Fothergilla is widely considered to be the finest selection available. All attributes appear superior, including larger flowers, clean blue-green foliage, strong fall color (yellow to red) and vigorous upright growth habit to 6' tall. It is widely available and probably should be selected over other forms if possible.



Fothergilla is one of Victoria’s favorite fall foliage shrubs – its leaves turn a striking multi-colored metallic.


Dwarf Fothergilla only grows one foot tall, which makes it a very practical size for most gardens. In spring it has creamy white bottlebrush-like flowers that combine particularly well with spring-blooming bulbs.

Flowering hedge: Lilacs, Weigelas, Quince, Forsythia, Rose of Sharon, Viburnum, Itea, and Fothergilla

A hedge doesn't have to be regimented and solid like you see in formal gardens and around traditional homes. Some plants can be used to create informal hedges that require little trimming. Just a look over once a year to remove shoots that are growing out of line.

If you prefer an informal hedge that is big and sprawling, try shrubs like lilac, forsythia, bridalwreath spirea, mock orange, or roses. If you have the space, informal hedges can make a spectacular and effective “fence'” especially if flowering shrubs are used. Because they grow in a natural unmanicured way, an informal hedge requires more room than a sheared type hedge, so be sure to take their “mature” size into account when planting.

A mix-and-match approach to a hedge will add functional beauty to your landscape by giving you a great way to have interesting colors, textures, flowers and fruits all year long. A mixed hedge of Itea, Fothergilla, and Holly, for example will look good all year and magnificent in the fall when the flame-colored foliage of the Itea contrasts with the metallic fall color of Fothergilla and the deep green and brilliant berries of the Holly.

Or for a flowering hedge a mix of quince, viburnum, lilacs, weigelas, and roses will offer you and ever changing and fragrant wall of flowers.

With flowering shrub hedges, prune shrubs early in the season after they bloom. Early spring is usually the best time to “shape” shrubs that flower in the last part of the summer. Evergreen hedges should be pruned in spring and again early summer – evergreens should be shaped in late spring. An informal hedge should need only a once or twice a year trimming. Pruning will encourage greater flowering.

Bright Red Fall Folliage: Itea virginica

For bright red fall foliage, Victoria recommends Itea shrubs –and to avoid the invasive euonymus (burning bush). Itea, as you can see, produces ravishing red fall color.



"Little Henry' Itea virginica.



'Henry's Garnet' Itea virginica.

Why should you avoid planting 'burning bush'?: "The invasive euonymus (burning bush) was introduced into the USA from northeastern Asia about 1860 and the bright red fall foliage makes this shrub a popular ornamental; burning-bush planted near woodlands, mature second-growth forests, and pastures can be a problem. It has escaped from cultivation in the Northeast and Midwest, notably in Connecticut, New York, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.

The earliest evidence of naturalized populations of winged euonymus in eastern Pennsylvania dates from the 1960s. Today it is found with increasing frequency in moist forests throughout the eastern United States.

Winged euonymus is a threat to mature forests and successional fields and woodlands because it out-competes native species. It is adaptable to various environmental conditions although it generally does not do well in very dry areas. It grows well in a variety of soil types and pH levels, has no serious pest problems in North America, and most importantly of all, is tolerant of full shade. It has invaded moist forested sites creating dense thickets that can shade out native herbs and shrubs.

Seed production is prodigious; many germinate where they fall close to the mother plant creating dense beds of seedlings. Others are spread by birds that are attracted to the seeds by their nutritious, fleshy, red covering (aril). Seeds dispersed this way germinate easily and spread the infestation rapidly. Wide usage of this a popular landscape ornamental increases the probability that more will escape from cultivation.

Winged euonymus should not be planted anywhere near native forest stands because of its invasiveness and prolific seed production.

The following native shrubs are suggested as alternatives:

winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata),
red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia),
Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica),
arrow-wood (Viburnum recognitum or V. dentatum),
blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium),
gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa),
kinnikinik (Cornus amomum),
ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius),
witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana),
bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica)."

-SOURCE: The following information on this species is taken from the Delaware River Invasive Plant Partnership, Invasive Plant Fact Sheets.

Fall Color: Fothergilla

Fothergilla is one of Victoria’s favorite fall foliage shrubs – its leaves turn a striking multi-colored metallic.


Dwarf Fothergilla only grows one foot tall, which makes it a very practical size for most gardens. In spring it has creamy white bottlebrush-like flowers that combine particularly well with spring-blooming bulbs.

For more information on Fothergilla, here's a good article from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.